Chapter 1 – I Woke Up and It Was 5 Years Ago (4)

‘He must have entered the palace, right?’

The messenger who came in the morning was also from the Senate. There was no overlap between Demetrian, who knew no leisure, and the festival marketplace.

With that rational suspicion and a self-mocking thought for thinking of him even here, Chloe scrutinized the man, noticing that the epaulet color on his uniform was different from what she saw yesterday.

‘Of course.’

Imagining Demetrian alone, browsing food stalls, was difficult even in fantasy.

Relieved to find the answer, she felt a mischievous annoyance toward the man who startled her.

‘Why would someone wear a uniform to a festival market?’

Did he want to flaunt his elitism that much? As she looked with a skeptical gaze, Etienne’s voice suddenly echoed in her mind.

‘Someone got an Academy uniform from somewhere, pretended to be a cadet, and approached young ladies.’

Come to think of it, there were many petty criminals at the festival market during the festival week. Some did it as a profession, but many indulged in mischief under the guise of wearing masks.

The ‘Academy Uniform Man’ was one of the latter. Initially, he intended to dine and dash, but when it worked well, he approached noble young ladies, pretended to be smitten, and promised future meetings while taking their jewelry.

The Imperial Academy was a place where everyone, regardless of status, had to graduate to become a bureaucrat. Demetrian, of course, and many heirs of noble families who wanted to inherit titles, including her brother Etienne, studied at the Imperial Academy.

Therefore, the entrance exam was notoriously difficult, and cadets who passed it with sheer will to serve the country were popular among all imperial citizens. If they were noble, they were future leaders; if commoners, they were the pride of Arthuzen, so even street merchants were eager to give them credit.

But even so, cadets weren’t so clueless as to do such things during the festival week.

Chloe, struck by a thought, glared at the back of the ‘Uniform Man’ once more.

‘If what Etienne told me happens, it would be proof that this is really the past I lived in five years ago.’

Looking back at the past two days since returning to her twenties, her family and Mirabelle were as she remembered, but Demetrian’s somewhat changed attitude made her unsure if it was the past she lived. So she wasn’t sure about things she hadn’t experienced directly.

Chloe, as if bewitched, followed the Uniform Man.

The meal looks even more delicious when enjoyed by the ladies.”

“Cadets know how to flatter, don’t they? Try it, it’s cheap but delicious.”

“Is it delicious…?” 

He sighed theatrically, as if to evoke pity, letting his shoulders droop. 

“If only it weren’t for the pickpockets…”

“Oh dear. Would you grant us the opportunity to treat you? You’re someone who will work for the prosperity of the Imperial Family.”

Chloe’s expression soured as she watched.

‘All this fuss over a single sausage skewer. Dining and dashing confirmed.’

The Uniform Man was said to subtly and meticulously choose his targets. Lower nobles or wealthy commoners. Even with masks on, it was easy to identify nobles by their clothes, hair, and posture, but distinguishing them that finely wasn’t easy. Yet he managed somehow. He targeted young ladies who went out with friends instead of with nannies or maids.

The young ladies receiving the Uniform Man’s begging were just like that.

The future talent’s politely executed ‘just a taste’ act was cute enough to elevate it to likability, and the targets, who seemed to be young ladies of lower nobility, continued to engage him in conversation.

At a social party, it would have been unladylike, but the anonymity of masks and the excitement of the festival emboldened them.

In truth, the Uniform Man had an aura of someone who might be handsome. Unlike others, he wore a half-mask covering only his eyes, suggesting he knew his lower face exuded a noble and handsome vibe.

‘I didn’t mistake him for Demetrian for nothing… If it ended there, it would just be a small memory.’

What the stalls sold might be overpriced, but it would be pocket change for the young ladies, and anyhow, cadets were popular.

However, the fact that Etienne heard about this story meant someone suffered enough to report it.

“Can I repay your kindness, my lady?”

Thanks to the festival’s excitement and the cadets’ popularity, such absurd proposals to exchange tokens for future meetings were accepted.

All he had to do was give away a uniform button, but the young ladies had nothing to offer but their jewelry or handkerchiefs.

Sure enough, a silk handkerchief soon ended up in his hand. The Uniform Man pretended to examine the initials embroidered in the corner carefully and then brought her hand to his lips.

“After the festival ends, I will come to find you. Definitely.”

As he pressed his lips to her hand, small exclamations erupted here and there. For all of them, this was a scene from a romance.

The young lady who received a kiss on the hand and her companion’s faces turned bright red, even hidden under their masks.

According to what Etienne would say, that man was highly likely an impostor pretending to be a cadet.

‘This is why you shouldn’t wish for destined love.’

The moment you think it’s destiny, your heart weakens.

Clack, Chloe folded the cone filled with roasted almonds as if she lost her appetite. While reflecting on her feelings from around this time that morning when she saw the anemones.

That faint unpleasantness led Chloe to make an unprecedented decision.

“Oh my, meeting a fellow student here.”

To intervene in someone else’s wrongdoing. Chloe summoned all her acting skills from her three years, or rather eight years, in high society.

“But… wearing a uniform during the festival is prohibited.”

And the concept was something like the ethics committee under the student council.

She didn’t intend to enforce justice. It was more of an impulse. The excessive excitement was likely due to the rare sense of freedom and the delight of seeing a story she had only heard unfold before her eyes.

Perhaps it was because she still had a lingering thought that this spring day of being twenty might be a dream.

As Chloe suddenly intervened, the handsome lower face of the startled Uniform Man stiffened awkwardly.

“Did such a rule get established during the festival period…?”

The Uniform Man performed the same wistful tone he used when coveting the young ladies’ sausages.

Uniform prohibition during the festival. Chloe had just made it up, but what the rule was didn’t matter.

“The student council announced it last week. What’s your major and year?”

“Police Administration major, 1st year.”

Well, he had picked up some things. However, the yellow epaulets indicated that the uniform was for 2nd years, and cadets could only choose their major in their 3rd year.

“Strange. There’s no such name in our department.”

Chloe pointed at his chest with the cone of roasted almonds she held. The owner of the embroidered name there wouldn’t know Chloe, either.

“Moreover, as future servants of the Imperial citizens, we must not accept gifts.”

It was a rule as good as nonexistent since street merchants competed to extend credit. But instead of pointing that out, the flustered Uniform Man, despite his brazen act, seemed too flustered to respond, his voice trembling.

“I just impulsively came out while studying in the library. I guess I was trying to meet my destiny here.”

He cast another wistful glance at the young lady from whom he took the silk handkerchief.

‘Destiny my foot, when you don’t even know her face.’

If there was such a thing as fateful love, would I, huh? Would I… 

Chloe felt a twinge of irritation in her heart.

“But the Academy is closed during the festival week?”

The Academy’s doors were wide open 336 days a year for students whose hometowns were in the provinces. Chloe continued her barrage of questions at the Uniform Man.

“Who’s your academic advisor? Aaron Tesla? David Jackson? Magnus Weiss?”

“Te, Tesl…”

“Oh, he’s the patent law professor.”

Beneath the mask, the Uniform Man’s face turned pale. Seeing only his flustered appearance, the young ladies began whispering to each other, holding hands.

Chloe, with an even bolder gesture, waved the cone of roasted almonds threateningly near the Uniform Man’s chin as she continued her interrogation.

“Who was last year’s student council president?”

“Young Duke Crevelle…”

“Full name.”

“Ah, um…”

No matter how prestigious Crevelle was, to commoners, Duke Crevelle was referred to as Sir Duke, and Young Duke was referred to as Young Sir.

Noticing this, the young ladies quickly distanced themselves from him. The name of the famous Young Duke Crevelle was basic knowledge among nobility and Academy cadets.

Confirmed as neither noble nor cadet, but an impostor pretending to be an Academy cadet. It was exactly as Etienne had once told her.

“Pathetic.”

Chloe theatrically sighed as she decided to wrap it up.

“Cadet Creed Article 4, we, as future servants of the public, shall serve the Imperial citizens! Cadet Creed Article 5! We, as future servants of the public, shall not forget our dignity anywhere! Article 6?”

“We, we…”

“There is no Article 6!”

The roasted almonds flew toward the Uniform Man’s face.

* * *

“Glad I took a look at Etienne’s student handbook.”

As for Chloe, she never even took the Imperial Academy exam since she had no intention of becoming a bureaucrat.

‘My ghost-like memory played a big part too.’

Looking around with a refreshed mind, Chloe realized she had lost Mirabelle.

“Where did she go in such a short time?”

Embarrassed by her monologue, she mumbled to herself. In reality, quite a bit of time had passed, so it was a problem that she didn’t know she lost track of her and didn’t come back to find her.

Mirabelle’s high-tied purple hair wasn’t visible anywhere nearby. Although Mirabelle was tall for a woman, it seemed it wasn’t enough in this festival market full of men and people wearing tall hats.

At that moment, a voice approached without a sound, echoing in her ear.

“Mirabelle is in front of the souvenir stall ahead.”

It was Dee from the escort team. Normally, when Chloe was with Mirabelle, no separate escort was assigned, but since it was the festival week with many people and potential incidents, they had accompanied her.

‘I didn’t know back then.’

In such a crowded place, it was easy for nobles to become targets of crime, so it was a natural precaution. Even with masks on, nobles unmistakably stood out. Mirabelle probably felt reassured knowing the escort team was following her.

‘Oh, they must have seen everything…’

Chloe felt a wave of embarrassment as she recalled her earnest performance as a member of the ethics committee.

Recognizing Mirabelle’s ponytail peeking up from the spot Dee mentioned, Chloe sneaked up and playfully spoke in a stern voice.

“What if you just go off by yourself like that?”

“You’re here? Nothing happened.”

“Of course, you were fine. But you should worry about me, not yourself.”

As they laughed at each other’s banter, just when Chloe was about to excitedly share with Mirabelle the incredible thing she had just done, something caught her attention again.

“What’s wrong, Loi?”